When I set out for the TODT show, The Cruelest Month, currently showing at Synthetica gallery (www.syngallery.com) in Cincinnati's Brighton District, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had heard that the collective TODT was an extremely popular group of artists from the early 70s through the late 80s and that they were beginning to reemerge in Cinci after a bit of a break from the art scene. Truthfully though, that bit of information didn't excite me terribly. (Because as most of us know, "famous" artists come and go, as that's just the nature of the beast.) What did spark my interest though, was learning that a few pieces that would be on display at Synthetica were involved and last shown in the 1985 installment of the Whitney Biennial. And being that that time was during the height of New York, New York's artistic rise and domination, the bar and my expectations had been set rather high, for both the gallery and the artists involved. So with that, a note in the reCollect Creative calendar of events was made -- as is the case for their next show, that will be opening right down the street from Synthetica, at Semantics Gallery ,this Saturday (May 1st) -- and I was off.
So after being stunned by the first notable piece upon entry, and the work that can be found under the groups moniker (pictured), I knew that this would by no means be a "fluffy" show, but rather work from a group of artists who made exactly what they wanted, when they wanted. Plus, since that first piece depicted imagery of both of the assassinated Kennedys flanking an image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who suffered the same fate, I knew that nothing would be off limits in the show. And being that this unique piece was thought provoking, to say the least, as television dials were replaced with stripped-down revolvers, I already didn't mind whatever it was I would soon embark on. A confident sense of expression is always enjoyed.
Next up, in what I'm considering "a show of fascinating, well constructed works of sculpture that show a brief history of the collective," was a piece called M.A.M. (or the Mean Age of Menopause) which was another assemblage made of torpedo-like cylinders adorned with the expected wires & dials, as well as some not-so-expected items like the rubber nipples. This, like most of the other works, seemed to be created with an aggressive & specific agenda, that still remained somewhat vague in it's exact intent. And as I observed a calculated arrangement of objects sitting upon a rolling stand of gizmos, gadgets, and electronics, my mind took off in a random assortment of directions, as questions and statements in the tune of "Is this a dangerous representation of a baby-mama? Who fucked who (up) to inspire this one? Haha, a booby trap!" rolled through my mind. But still, the fact that I probably spent the most time with this piece just trying to figure it out makes it a success in my mind. Plus visually, my discerning eye couldn't find any particular eye-sores or "flaws."
As I continued to scan the room, with beer in hand by this time, I noticed a piece or two that didn't terribly excite me (so they'll remain unmentioned), but after that brief lull, I landed on a wall-hanging sculpture entitled Law-A-Lie that was just disturbing enough for me not to forget. This sculptural wall hanging, which by the title & supporting visuals, suggests ideas of entrapment, persecution, and disclosure, had my mind racing again. "Are the incorporated needles those of medicinal injection or maybe even government tattooing? Is the figure screaming as they meet there demise or were they tortured to this point? Should I be reading the flesh as sunburnt ...and where are they being shipped to (as the white areas resemble/or were Styrofoam)??" And while these assessments continually bounced in-mind, the recognition of the heavy machinery in relation to this maybe-once-delicate figure, knocked me back to reality ...and I began to understand how TODT could have easily gained popularity in the 80s with this sort of imagery. I mean, I've seen a good amount of disturbed situations in my reality and through film & media ...but this work, had once again, stolen my ability to easily process or dismiss what I found in front of me. Therefore, I can only imagine it's impact on the pre graphically-violent television, film and video game society we find ourselves in today.
The last specific piece of the 12 piece show -- that I'll mention -- another freestanding, electricity involved sculpture titled Pincers (which I recently learned could possibly be in reference to a military-style, frontal attack HERE) didn't shy away from the dramatics either. This, a well oiled death machine, if you will, provoked thoughts of combative machinery taken too far. And while it's definitely not "too far" in the way of an artistic creation, I can't help but to think what if the wrong group of people got their hands on a working contraption like this. And what could they or would they use it for? And while the answer "could" be something as simple and practical as "to trim multiple garden hedges and bushes simultaneously," my, maybe tortured, mind once again got lost in ideas about human sacrifice and subjects of that nature. And once I noticed the red illuminations, that were added to accentuate some of the cold metals, I'm rather certain that these kind of thoughts would not be at all exclusively held by me.
So with that, I rate this show a good one to see, to re-familiarize yourselves with TODT if nothing else. The Cruelest Month will be open at Synthetica Gallery (2157 Central Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45214) through the first two weeks of May (by appointment at 513-602-2574). The visuals and electronics are extremely thought provoking and the subject matter is creatively disturbing. Plus, overall, the work is rather impressive and should serve as a nice retrospective, of sorts, just before TODT's opening at Semantics Gallery entitled Pleasure Center (also in Brighton -- from May 1st - 29th) ...which will be showing much more of the collectives recent work.
Oh and our exclusive interview with TODT is on the way ...so be sure to RSS us, follow us, or just check back often.
Thanks again,
Jonathan
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